Sportsters and Synthetic Oil

[MountainMan]

Greetings Sportster Riders,

My wife took her 08 Sportster in for the 1000 mile service today and asked for synthetic oil. When the service was done, the technician told her that they had put in regular oil instead becuase "you cannot use synthetic oil in Sportsters." When she came home and told me this I called the dealership and spoke to the owner and he referred to policy from H-D recommending not using synthetic in Sportsters.

I called another dealership in the area as well and asked them about it, and they didn't have any problems running synthetic in Sportsters.

Does anyone know anything about this?

Thanks,
MM

[MadCity]

I've been running Syn3 in my Sportster since the 1,000-mile service, and my dealer has done all the oil changes. I've got almost 16K on the clock. No problems at all.

[gdkenoyer]

You might consider:
1) dropping this question over in the Engine Oils and Lubrication Forum
2) asking the owner for the reference / bulletin number of that "policy"

[MadCity]

I didn't move this thread to the Engine Oils and Lubrication Forum, as I normally would do, because what Mountain Man was told by his dealer was specific to Sportsters.

[Vettster]

Why didn't they tell her this before they did the service?
Sounds to me like the Tech didn't read the work order and then went back later looking for an excuse.

Ride Free, Ride Safe,
Vettster

[mcouture]

Sounds like that dealer is still living in the 80's when "synthetic oil is bad" was the company line.

I've been running Amsoil synthetic since 1,000 miles and the "oil gods" have not come to strike me down yet.....

[Tbow]

I've been running synthetic as well, since my 1,000 mile service

[lschultz]

That dealer is full of kaka.

[MountainMan]

Thanks for the input. Quick update here. I went to the dealership and asked them to show me an official paper from H-D that says not to use synthetic in Sportsters. Turns out they don't have any, the info comes from their H-D service rep. So I asked to talk to him. Waiting for his phone call. More later.

MM

[DHENRY]

Horse Manure !!
Dhenry

[MountainMan]

Their service manager called me up an hour ago and told me that the Sportster owner's manual mentions just regular oil and not synthetic oil, and that is why they went against the customers' request. He went on to say that Sportster valve trains are noisy to begin with, and synthetic oil would make it even more so. Thus, they decided to put regular oil in so as not to have the customer think something was wrong with the bike.

They offered for us to bring the bike back and have synthetic put in, but I don't want my wife to have sit there and wait again, so I'll just get the oil and change it myself. I have already switched service departments for my upgraded Street Glide, and now it seems I also have to do the same for my wife's stock Sportster.

MM

[DHENRY]

MM,
It was great of the service manager to call you back.
A nice touch.
You're probably aware that most 'conventional' oils contain a huge slug of synthetic additives and modifiers.
HMM...
I'm curious as to why mine is noticably quieter with Amsoil MCV than it was w/'Harley's Best' conventional.
I still think the poor man is drinking some kind of koolade that interferes with science.
DHENRY

[Krayven Sumhead]

My '05 1200 has 25,000 miles with Amsoil Synthetic and Syn 3. The person who is mis-informing you is nuts. Maybe he doesn't realize that Sportsters don't have cam chain tensioners.
Sounds like a NOOB or ROOB. I'd want to see his credentials. The scoot runs better and quiet(er) with Synthetic. Shifts easier and quiet(er) also.

[Willie D]

This dealer must have a nimrod for techs. I too have been runing synthetic in my 08 Nightster since the 1000 mile. M1-15w50 and regular 80-90 gear lube in the primary/trany. shifts better and is much quieter..........

my.02

[EODHOG]

It's odd that until Syn3 came along the MoCo stuck with the same (syn is bad) BS. Now it is OK. First time I've heard that it's NOT OK for Sportys though. If their valve train is already too loud that they say it's fine for any EVO.